A New Reason for the Wage Gap?

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The recent presidential election brought women's issues of all kinds into the forefront, from reproductive rights to gender equality. And while we've sure come a long way, we're still behind in some major areas, especially when it comes to our bottom lines. According to the 2010 census, women with year-round full-time jobs earned only 77 percent of what men earned. That's pretty ridiculous, if you ask us.

Studies have hinted that this income gap is actually caused in part by women's reluctance to negotiate higher salaries. But this may not entirely be true, according to new research. A University of Chicago study shows that, when given an invitation, women are just as willing as men are to negotiate for more pay. However, when there is no explicit statement in a job description that wages are negotiable, women are less likely than men to ask for a higher salary.

What does this mean for you? Know your worth—and ask for it—when you apply for a job. Unfortunately, employers will always want to give you the
lowest salary possible, so it's up to you to fight for what you deserve. While we wait for real equal pay to become a reality, we hope that studies like this will keep encouraging women to speak up. After all, it never hurts to ask.